Chapter 107 : Dragon Knight

Once, I served under Redros.

When I was a penniless wanderer, drifting aimlessly from place to place, it was Redros who took me in.

He taught me swordsmanship and made me one of his knights. 

At first, I began as an ordinary knight, but before I knew it, I was on the verge of being appointed commander.

During that time, I was tasked with overseeing the Dragon Knights.

Although I’ve since risen far beyond that position and “graduated” unintentionally, a part of me still lives in that era. 

Even now, I feel a certain sense of pride whenever I see the Dragon Knights. 

It’s a bit like running into comrades from a shared past.

If I had to describe it, it feels like meeting old colleagues after retirement—or perhaps alumni from the same school.

So, while this situation is frustrating, a greater part of me is simply glad. It’s not every day you encounter a fellow from back home in such a remote area.

There’s just one problem…

That “fellow” is currently attacking me.

“Grrrrrooooaaarrr!”

“Whoa!”

I rolled to the right, clutching Reina tightly as we tumbled through the snow. 

Moments later, the wyvern’s massive form swept past where we had just been.

‘That was close.’

Thankfully, I hadn’t completely let my guard down. 

If my reaction had been even a fraction slower, I would’ve collided with that enormous beast.

Looking up, I saw the wyvern circling in the sky, its gaze fixed on us.

‘Why is it attacking?’

Could it be… that they don’t recognize me?

It makes sense. 

My appearance has changed a lot since my time as a Dragon Knight—my attire, demeanor, even my face. 

And of course, this meeting is happening in the middle of nowhere.

Although it irks me that my junior doesn’t recognize me, I’ll let it slide. 

That’s what a gracious senior would do.

“Hey! You there, on the dragon! If you can hear me, respond!”

I tried initiating conversation. 

If this continues, we’ll only end up harming each other needlessly.

But the response was…

“Grrrrrooooaaarrr!”

The wyvern roared again and dove at us.

“What?!”

I dodged once more, holding Reina tightly as we rolled through the snow again.

“Kyah!” Reina shrieked, her voice trembling with a hint of fear this time.

‘This is bad.’

I kept trying to communicate, but all I received in return were unanswered roars and relentless attacks.

The only silver lining was that the rider seemed to be relying solely on the wyvern’s physical attacks. 

While dangerous, they were predictable and relatively easy to evade—as long as I didn’t get hit.

But this couldn’t continue. 

Reina’s face was growing paler by the minute.

“The head commands! The tail responds immediately!”

I shouted one of the Dragon Knights’ old call-and-response codes.

The Dragon Knights had developed these codes for efficient communication during their high-altitude operations. 

As their former commander, I still remembered them well.

This particular command was a signal for subordinates to acknowledge their leader’s authority and respond.

But instead of a response, the wyvern lunged again.

“What the—are you a rookie?! Do you realize this is insubordination?!”

Something wasn’t adding up. 

The code should have worked—it wasn’t something trivial or outdated.

Unless… they’ve changed it since I left? No, that’s unlikely.

It wasn’t some grand, classified secret; it was just a simple signal to ensure discipline.

‘What a mess they’ve made of things in my absence!’

Back in my day, the knights wouldn’t dare ignore me. 

The moment I spoke, they’d stop whatever they were doing and listen intently.

‘What now…’

The hero’s side of the battle seemed to be wrapping up. 

If I didn’t resolve this quickly, they’d notice I was gone. While I had prepared an excuse in advance, it was better not to need one.

After a moment of thought, I made my decision.

‘Retreat for now.’

As much as I wanted to teach this insubordinate junior a lesson they wouldn’t forget, I didn’t have the time.

‘I’ll track them down later.’

Once night fell, I could slip away again. 

For now, I’d attach a tracking spell and let them go. Then, I’d revisit this matter at my leisure.

With my plan set, I turned to leave—only to pause.

‘Ah, right. Those guys are still here.’

Rein and his knights, unconscious and scattered. 

I hadn’t finished dealing with them yet.

Well, I suppose I should save them. 

They need to be alive for me to handle them later. 

Besides, they might come in handy as bait to distract this wyvern.

“Take good care of him. I’ll come back for him later.”

I dragged Rein’s limp body over and dropped it in front of the knights. 

Freed from their magical restraints, they caught him awkwardly.

Satisfied, I started to leave but stopped again.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

I turned back to face them, raising a hand to my throat.

“If anyone breathes a word of what happened here…”

I mimed slitting my throat, letting the silence linger ominously.

“Behave yourselves.”

With that, I gave them a firm warning and walked away.

The knights gave small nods of acknowledgment.

“Oh, and could you also take care of that guy up there for me?”

I pointed at the wyvern rider circling above.

Good, that should do it.

With that, I left the scene. I think I heard someone shout, “Wait a second!” behind me, but I ignored it.

Thanks to that…

“Finally done!”

I managed to return just in time.

Luckily, no one noticed my brief absence. 

I arrived just as the hero struck down the last remaining winter soldier, which meant I was cutting it dangerously close.

What about the wyvern rider? 

No idea. 

They’re not weak enough to be killed by regular knights, so I assume they’re fine.

But right now, there’s a more pressing matter in front of me.

“Explain! Why do you have this?!” Olivia shouted at the Morel trio.

In her hand was a blue gem radiating a faint glow.

“W-We don’t really know…”

The trio shrank under Olivia’s furious glare.

The gem in question was the “Heart of Snow,” a rare magical stone containing immense power. 

It was known to be incredibly difficult to obtain, as it could only be retrieved from knight-class winter soldiers upon defeating them.

Due to its vast magical energy, it was highly sought after as a material for magical artifacts, catalysts, and wands. 

Combined with its rarity and the mesmerizing deep blue color, it commanded exorbitant prices in regions outside the North.

However, there was one major problem with it…

“So that’s why we’ve been under attack this whole time!”

Apparently, carrying the Heart of Snow attracted winter soldiers to attack relentlessly.

“Where did you get this?” Olivia demanded, holding the gem up.

“We… we were given it…”

“By who? Who gave this to you?”

“We don’t know exactly…”

As the story unraveled, it turned out that masked men had handed the gem to the trio before the hunting festival began, claiming it was a “lucky charm.” 

The trio had naively carried it with them since then.

Hearing this, Olivia clicked her tongue in disbelief.

“They gave you this as a lucky charm? What kind of morons are these people?”

Hmm… I think I know who they are.

Images of a certain redhead and his knights flashed through my mind.

‘You’ve really outdone yourselves this time…’

Looks like I’ll have to add this to their tab when the time comes.

Unable to watch any longer, the hero stepped in.

“Olivia, let it go. It doesn’t seem like it’s their fault.”

“But!”

“And besides, we’ve got something more pressing to deal with.”

The hero extended his hand, revealing another Heart of Snow. 

This one had come from the knight-class winter soldier they had just defeated.

“What are we going to do with this? If we keep carrying it around, it’ll just cause more problems…”

“Hmm…”

Olivia pondered for a moment before finally sighing and replying.

“Let’s head back to the safe zone. Carrying even one of these is already troublesome. With two? It’s just asking for trouble.”

Her decision made sense. 

If one gem was causing this much trouble, carrying two would be unthinkable.

“If it were just us, it might be manageable…”

She glanced at the Morel trio, who immediately avoided her gaze, bowing their heads lower.

“Then it’s decided. We’re heading back!”

The tense atmosphere was broken by Artorius’s hearty laughter. 

Rolling his shoulders, the paladin grinned and said, “Let’s get going! I was getting tired of jerky anyway. 

Can’t wait to get back and sink my teeth into some real food and a good drink!”

With that, we began making our way back to the safe zone.

That night, however, we were ambushed.

“Grrrrrooooaaarrr!”

The familiar roar echoed in my ears.

“Is that a wyvern rider?! What’s it doing here?!”

The hero party’s startled voices rang out as they prepared for battle.

Looking up, I saw the wyvern in the faint light of the torches, its massive wings casting an imposing shadow.

“Reina, it’s another dragon!”

By the way, it’s the same one as before.

I sighed deeply.

‘I was planning to visit later, but…’

Looks like that won’t be necessary. 

My dear junior has kindly saved me the trouble by coming to find me instead.

How considerate.

Damn it.

I stared at the situation in front of me with a mix of resignation and annoyance.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

On one side, the hero party readied themselves.

“Grrrrrooooaaarrr!”

On the other side, my overly enthusiastic junior, determined to attack me.

“Damn it…”

And then there’s us.

“Go get ‘em, guys!” Reina cheered for the hero party, completely oblivious to the dilemma.

I looked at the cheering daughter of the Demon King and sank into deep contemplation.

“What the hell am I supposed to do…?”

If I help the hero party, I survive, but my junior dies—and I’ll become a traitor.

If I help my junior, I die—but at least I won’t be a traitor.

What kind of cruel balancing act is this?!

Why is this happening to me…?